Pushing the Sky
by jerichajade
Summary: Zuko has finally decided to join the Avatar along side his uncle. But what happens when they finally find the gaang? Will they accept the changed prince or turn him away?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Zuko and Iroh leave Ba Sing Se in search of the Avatar. Zuko has seen the light and wants to put an end to the stupid war his family has caused. But what happens when they find the gang and will they accept the changed prince?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or the world in which they reside. They are the property of their creators.**

**Authors Note: Okay so here is my first stab at Avatar fanfiction. I started to write this before the end of Season 2 so this is completely au after Lake Laogai. There will be slash later on in the story but I will not tell you between whom. I have to leave some mystery to the story don't I. This is also unbetaed so sorry if there are any glaring mistakes. Review and critique at your leisure. So without further ado onto the story. **

**Pushing the Sky**

**Prologue**

**The wind moved slowly over the green grass, causing dandelion fluff to fly up into the air. Zuko was hiding from his uncle in the long grass, even though he would never admit to something so cowardly. Ever since he released the avatar's bison, he found himself outside thinking more and more. Zuko had grown up quite a bit since the avatars return. The two firebenders had not left Ba Sing Se yet and Zuko did not think they ever would. Uncle Iroh's tea shop was booming and he was happy with his simple life. Zuko on the other hand wasn't exactly unhappy; he just felt that something important was missing from his life.**

"**Zuko!" Iroh called.**

**Zuko sighed and realized that the sun was setting. He had been outside all day. He heard his uncle moving slowly through the long grass. He knew Iroh would find him eventually but he didn't feel like helping his uncle out.**

**A shadow fell over the young prince. Zuko opened his golden eyes to peer up at the kind old man. How had his uncle ever become a powerful general in the Fire Nation army? He was too kind and so eccentric but soldiers followed him into dangerous situations regardless of this fact. **

"_**And so would I**_**," thought Zuko.**

**Iroh put trust and loyalty into everyone who met him. Of course that didn't apply to his sister Azula or his father.**

"**Zuko, its time to come in," Iroh spoke softly.**

**Zuko stood up slowly, stretching out stiff muscles. The two walked beside each other in a comfortable silence but Zuko knew his uncle had questions for him, questions that Iroh wasn't sure he should voice. Zuko stopped and allowed his uncle to walk ahead of him. Iroh noticed this and turned to look at his nephew perplexed.**

"**What is wrong, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked.**

**Zuko sighed. "What is it you want to ask, Uncle?"**

**Iroh walked back over to Zuko and looked up into his nephews eyes. He had stuck with his nephew through everything that his brother had thrown at him. Iroh saw within Zuko the makings of a great leader. Zuko had the potential to lead their people with compassion, wisdom, and respect. The only problem was with his nephew's temper. Zuko still had to learn better control over his anger and to think things through more rationally.**

"**Zuko, what do you come out here to do?"**

**The prince shrugged. "Sometimes to think and other times just to sort things out."**

"**What do you need to sort out, Prince Zuko?" Iroh kept staring at his nephew. This was a turning point for the prince, even though he couldn't see it.**

"**Uncle, have you heard any news on the war?" Zuko asked, turning his head throwing his face into shadow.**

"**Not much. Azula, I hear, is still looking for the Avatar. Why do you ask, Prince Zuko?" Iroh's brow wrinkled in concern.**

"**What about the Avatar?"**

"**He is still somewhere within the Earth Kingdom I believe." Zuko bowed his head. "What is it you want to do, Zuko?"**

"**Uncle, I am tired of being in this city hiding from the war." He turned back to his uncle. There was something different about his eyes. It was not something that Iroh had ever seen in his nephew's eyes before. "I want to find the Avatar."**

**Uncle sighed with regret. The turning point had come and Zuko had missed it. He was going to try and find the Avatar to get back into his father's good graces.**

"**I want to join him, Uncle."**

**Iroh's eyes opened in shock. "Really, nephew?"**

"**Yes, uncle. Too many lives have been lost on both sides. The Avatar is the only one who can end this war peacefully. My father wants to control the world with Azula standing by his side, not me."**

**Uncle smiled happily. "Good choice, my nephew. We must leave at once to find the Avatar."**

"**We uncle?" Zuko asked surprised. "What about your tea shop?"**

**Uncle turned his head to stare sadly at the great city. "I shall miss it but helping you is a much worthier cause. Besides Zhou can take of the shop until my return."**

**At last Zuko was at peace with his thoughts. He made a decision not based on what his father, Lord Ozai, would want him to do but based off of Zuko's own feelings. He knew his uncle was happy with his decision. He knew that Iroh was discontent with how the Fire Nation was being run but had no say in the matter. Now they were able to make a difference in the future of the Fire Nation.**

**The turning point had come and Zuko had not disappointed his uncle.**


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Okay here's the next chapter. To answer any questions about the time line of my story, this happens right after the rescue of Appa. Everything that happened at the end of season 2 still happened with the exception of Zuko and Iroh being a part of it. Many story lines from season 3 will be in my story but not in the order that they happened in the show. Still do not have a beta so I apologize for any of the mistakes one finds. I always welcome any praise or constructive criticism.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or the world in which they reside. They are the property of their creators. The only character I claim as of right now is Recca who shows up later in the story.

Also ever chapter is going to be named for a song title. If anyone can guess where I got the song from, I will dedicate the next chapter to the first person who guesses right.

Happy Readings!

Pushing the Sky

Chapter 1: All That I'm Living For

It had been a week since Zuko and Iroh had started their renewed quest to find the Avatar. They were working hard at it, but not with the same frantic energy as their last hunt. Zuko was still getting frustrated though. He wanted to find the Avatar as soon as possible but the Avatar was not making it easy.

"Why is this taking so long?" Zuko grumbled angrily.

The two of them were walking through what seemed like an endless forest. Iroh was content to be there but Zuko was ready to burn the entire wooded area to the ground. The longer it was taking to find the Avatar, the angrier the young prince was becoming.

"Zuko, you must calm down. We'll find the Avatar when we find him," Iroh commented.

"By the time we do find him, the war will be over!" Zuko snapped.

The firebender walked away from his uncle in a huff. Zuko knew he needed to control his anger but he couldn't help it. As the days passed with no results, a crack formed in his carefully built walls. The time spent in Ba Sing Se had helped to reinforce those walls but now with nothing to really occupy the prince's time, those walls were quickly falling.

The walls were tenuous at best. Uncle knew this. He was praying that the Avatar would show up soon or he feared for his nephews control. Iroh also knew that just finding the Avatar wouldn't heal the walls completely, Zuko needed to find someone that could stabilize him. He needed someone like what his mother was for Ozai before the fire lords ambition became too great.

Uncle sighed, "Zuko, come back. The sun is setting and we need to set camp."

Zuko came back reluctantly. He didn't mean to be so rude with his uncle, but he just couldn't seem to control it. Besides his mom, Iroh was the only other fire nation citizen that he cared about. Zuko didn't know how to stay calm for very long, sometimes it even scared him how out of control he could be.

The next day found the two building another camp site with still no luck in finding their quarry. Iroh was already settled with a cup of Ginseng tea. He breathed deeply of the fragrant brew, content with the world around him. Zuko finished setting up the tent just as the sun dipped behind the tall trees.

"Finished nephew, have some tea?" Iroh offered.

Zuko shook his head, "I'm going to the river."

The young prince looked exhausted. Iroh watched his nephew critically. The haunted look in Zuko's eyes told Iroh all he needed to know. The young firebender had the dream the night before, the dream of how he got the scar.

At the river, Zuko splashed cold water on his face in hopes that the frigid water could dispel the nightmare that had been dogging him all day. Whenever the situation got bad for the prince, he would have the dream of how his father gave him his horrible scar without fail.

Looking at his reflection in the calm waters, Zuko studied the outline of his most hated feature. The outer edges were not as angry red as the skin closer to his eye. Even after three years, the skin around his eye was still as red as if he had just been scarred. A constant reminder of his father's anger and disappointment directed at his only son. Even though Zuko had finally defected from the fire nation, he still desperately wanted his father's approval. An act that Zuko knew would never happen.

Zuko sighed. His new quest to join up with the Avatar was taking a lot longer than he had ever anticipated.

A noise from across the river caught Zuko's attention. It wasn't loud enough to be a platypus-bear or a mooselion but whatever it was could still be dangerous. He didn't have his broad swords so he would have to rely on his speed and firebending.

His arms were at his sides, waiting for whatever it was out there to pop out of the bushes. He hated waiting in these types of situations. Zuko heard a high pitch screech before a white blur flew right into him. The small animal was shivering within Zuko's hold.

Before he could get a proper look at the poor creature, a small swarm of dragonflies burst through the brush. Without thinking, Zuko lashed out a wave of fire, effectively scaring the flying annoyances off.

"Now, then, what could have possibly riled them up?" Zuko spoke softly.

The young prince finally was able to glance down at his new small charge. It had soft white fur, a long tail, and large bat like ears. The creatures head rose slowly to reveal large green eyes. The creature licked Zuko's cheek in thanks for saving his life. Zuko gasped. He was looking into the eyes of the Avatar's winged lemur.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Okay here's the next chapter. To answer any questions about the time line of my story, this happens right after the rescue of Appa. Everything that happened at the end of season 2 still happened with the exception of Zuko and Iroh being a part of it. Many story lines from season 3 will be in my story but not in the order that they happened in the show. Still do not have a beta so I apologize for any of the mistakes one finds. I always welcome any praise or constructive criticism.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or the world in which they reside. They are the property of their creators. The only character I claim as of right now is Recca who shows up later in the story.

Also ever chapter is going to be named for a song title. If anyone can guess where I got the song from, I will dedicate the next chapter to the first person who guesses right.

Dedication: This one goes out to my wonderful friend Captain PJ.

Pushing the Sky

Chapter 2: Give a Reason

The little lemur raised its head and tilted his head in a quizzical fashion. Close up the creature was actually very cute. It had been a long time since Zuko had had a pet of any variety. His mother had instilled with in him a sense of respect for all creature; it shamed him to admit that over the past three years he had not been following his mother's teachings.

"What did you do to upset those Dragonflies?" Zuko asked.

He stroked the soft fur between the lemur's ears, making the creature purr in appreciation. Zuko allowed himself to smile since no one else was around to see it. The prince was not expecting this type of response from the Avatar's pet; he knew that the lemur recognized him and was not the dumb beast like Azula would assume.

If the lemur was here, then the Avatar was not far behind. How fortuitous that this had occurred. It would appear that his search for the Avatar and his group had finally come to an end.

The lemur's ears perked up. He had heard something to soft low for Zuko's human ears to pick up, but the fire bender knew what the creature heard: the call of the Avatar.

The lemur placed his paws on Zuko's shoulders and called out of for his master. Zuko did not know why he just didn't fly back to the Avatar but he was secretly glad that he wouldn't have to try and follow the lemur.

From the same direction that the lemur had come, the Avatar's group appeared. Katara was the first to spot the prince and quickly went on the offensive. Before her water whip reached him, a fire wall appeared to dissipate the attack.

The lemur burrowed himself further into Zuko's hold, frightened by the fire.

"What was that for?" Zuko shouted.

"I don't know, maybe because you are out to get us!" Katara shouted back.

Zuko winced. He knew it would take a bit more than finding the Avatar to be able to join them. He would have to prove that he had changed.

"I know what I have done in the past was wrong. I was blinded by my quest to regain my honor and father's approval. But I swear to you I have changed," Zuko explained.

The small group was still mistrustful. They had been through too much because of Prince Zuko. Toph was the only one who had experienced the fire bender's anger. Appa recognized Zuko and remembered what he had done for him. He ambled over and licked Zuko on the face.

Zuko sputtered in disgust but he could hide his grin at the welcome from the flying bison.

"Why would Appa be friendly towards him?" Sokka asked.

"Because I freed him from the Dai Li's prison," Zuko told him. "I saved this one from a swarm of Dragonflies just now."

The lemur was still snuggled deeply within his arms and looked around once before laying his head back down. Each person in the Avatar's group had similar expressions of disbelief plastered to their faces. The group could not believe that this fire bender who had been pursuing them relentlessly across the world could have done something so nice.

"Please believe me when I say that I don't want any harm to come to you," Zuko implored the small group. "I just want to help you."

Toph's sightless eyes widened at his last statement. "He's telling the truth. He's been totally honest this entire time."

The other three turned to stare at their smallest member. They knew she could tell if someone was lying so Zuko was being honest with them. Aang glanced over at the Fire Nation prince. He did look sincere about his intentions.

"Remember when you asked if we could be friends and I turned you away? I was lying. Your philosophy is so much like my mother's who I lost, the mother I followed until she was taking from me."

By now even Katara who hated the Fire Nation the most for killing her mother looked sympathetic towards the fire bender. His situation was similar to her own. The Fire Nation's ambition had taking both of their mothers.

"I believe you," Aang stated so simply, with so much trust.

"Prince Zuko, what is taking so long. The tea is getting cold." Uncle appeared behind Zuko. "Oh I see you found the Avatar. They are welcome as well."

Toph recognized that voice. "Hey, it's the funny man who gave me tea and some really good advice."

"Ah, its good to you again as well. I hope my advice did you some good," Iroh said.

Toph smiled at the kind fire bender. "It did. Thank you."

"Well good tea will make good friends," Iroh stated and started back to his and Zuko's camp.

Zuko cleared his throat. "If you haven't set up camp, you are more than welcome to join ours."

Aang gave a wide grin. "That sounds good."

Toph made several stepping stones appear before making her a way across and following the old general. Aang and Katara followed after her. Sokka was slower in his trek across the river.

"You may have changed but I still have my eye on you," Sokka stated before following his sister and friends.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I am so sorry that it has been such a long time since I last updated but many personal things have happened to me with the past nine months (and no I did not get pregnant). But I am hoping that I will be updating more now that I think I have everything under control. Thanks for your patience.

Ch 3. Fleeting Trust

By the time Zuko entered the camp site, Iroh had everyone seated with a cup of his famous tea. The only spot left open was between Sokka and his uncle. It looked like Sokka's statement wasn't just meaningless words. Zuko knew that it would be hard to earn their trust, so he would suffer the ever present eye of the water tribe boy.

"So where is it you were heading?" Iroh asked.

"We are heading into…" Aang started.

"Don't answer that!" Sokka interrupted.

Aang looked confused. "Why not? They're on our side Sokka."

"I'm still not convinced of that," Sokka stated.

Katara sighed. "Look Sokka, I know how you feel about this but if Zuko and Iroh are going to be with us they'll have to know our plans."

Sokka stared at his sister The two water tribe siblings seemed to be in a silent stare down, intense blue eyes glaring back and forth. Finally Sokka looked away with Katara sporting a smirk of victory.

"Fine, but we won't tell them the whole plan yet." Sokka turned to Zuko. "We are moving into the Fire Nation to gather intel and to hide in plain sight of the Fire Nation army."

Zuko and Iroh shared a look. "Is that wise?"

"Why isn't? The army will not be looking for us at all."

Zuko's brow furrowed in confusion. "But Aang's the Avatar. Why won't they be looking for him?" Sokka laughed at Zuko's lack of knowledge. "Because everyone thinks Aang is dead!"

Zuko and Iroh both shared similar looks of surprise. "When did this happen?"

"You say you rescued Appa? How long after that did you leave Ba Sing Se?" Katara asked.

"Maybe a week. Why?"

"Well about the time you left, your sister and her friends infiltrated the city, stole command of the Dai Li and took over the city. Azula fought Aang and critically wounded Aang making it appear as if he was dead," Katara explained.

Zuko stared solemnly into the fire. He had no clue that happened. The two fire bender's never met anyone while they were traveling. This revelation came as a surprise to them.

Iroh placed his hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Why don't we get some sleep. It has been a very long day."

The next morning rose with heavy cloud cover. The despondent sky did not stop Zuko and Iroh from practicing their katas. It was one thing Iroh was adamant about. As Zuko's teacher, Iroh wanted his nephew to be the best but he didn't know how to teach him all of the things that he knew. Iroh had a secret knowledge taught to him by a tribe of long forgotten fire benders.

That morning Iroh noticed something different about Zuko. He didn't look as angry as he normally did. A sure sign that Zuko was changing.

Katara and Aang watched the two fire benders move gracefully through each kata. They never really had the chance to study fire benders before. They were usually too busy running away or fighting them.

"You know, their moves are actually quite beautiful," Katara observed.

Aang nodded his agreement. "Yeah, they're powerful but at the same time very fluid."

The two fire benders finished their last kata. They breathed deeply of the cold morning air. Through out the years of Zuko's exile, this was the only time his anger seemed to subside.

"Young Avatar, I think it is time to begin your training," Iroh called out to the duo.

Aang nervously got up and walked over to the ex-general. He was grateful to have a teacher as skilled as Iroh but Aang was still terrified of fire bending. After his failed attempt, Aang had vowed to never learn fire bending even though he knew he had to since meeting the Guru. Not learning fire bending was like allowing a part of himself to die. Fire bending was as much a part of him as breathing.

Iroh sensed the tension within the young air bender and he wished to alleviate it. Zuko was nervous the first time he began his training. Iroh hoped that by allowing the prince to help out would cement the bond between the two.

"Now the first thing you got to understand about fire bending is that the power comes from your emotions: the negative and the positive. Most teachers within the Fire Nation will only preach about the negative but that is not all there is to it," Iroh explained.

Zuko did not voice his shock. All the teachers at the Fire Nation capitol had taught that anger, fury, and hate fueled his fire. Iroh had never discussed anything else that could help his fire bending. So why was he telling the Avatar this?

Iroh had anticipated Zuko's unasked questions. "The reason I never told you Zuko was because you were already deeply ingrained in their teachings. You already had a lot of hate, anger and resentment within that I wouldn't be able to change your perspective, but now maybe with the help of Aang we can begin to learn anew."

Zuko was still unsure about this new approach to fire bending that Iroh was presenting. He sighed. This was his uncle who he had recently realized was more like a father to him than Ozai ever was. Iroh was the only person after his mother's disappearance that he could trust.

"The first step towards fire bending is your breathing. The proper control is crucial to bring forth the fire deep within you." Iroh started. "Look deep within, at the base of your core, to find where your fire resides."

Both Zuko and Aang followed Iroh's instructions. Zuko already knew all of this but he knew having someone to train with made things easier. Aang knew some of what Iroh would be teaching after his brief stint as Master Jeong Jeong's pupil.

To encourage Aang along, Iroh proposed that Zuko demonstrate one of the easier moves. Zuko performed the move flawlessly but the fire that he called forth was just a puff not the blazing glory that it should be. Zuko stood there in perfect shock.

"Is that how it is suppose to be?" Aang asked.

Zuko growled and tried once more. And again he performed beautifully but the fire was a small candle flame compared to the inferno Zuko was used to.

"I was afraid this would happen," Iroh stated with a sad shake of his head.

"What does this mean uncle?" Zuko asked with a hint of desperation.

"You have released your anger and resentment towards your situation, towards the world, and towards the Avatar." Iroh paused. "Your fire bending has always been fueled by those feelings but now that you don't have them, you're going to have to find something new to fuel your flame."

Zuko was at a loss. His fire bending was always something he could rely on. He wasn't as good as Azula but he was better than most. Without his fire bending, Zuko didn't know what he would do.

"How about studying the original source of fire bending?" Toph suggested. "I learned from the blind badger moles. I was able to learn earth bending not just as a martial art, but as an extension of my senses. For them, the original earth benders, it wasn't just about fighting; it was their way of interacting with the world."

"That's amazing, Toph. I learned from the monks but the original air benders were sky bison's." Aang patted Appa on the nose. "Maybe you give me a lesson sometime buddy." Appa growls in acknowledgement.

Zuko and Iroh share a glance. "Well that doesn't help me. The original fire benders were dragons and they're extinct."

Aang looks confused. "What do you mean? Roku had a dragon and there were plenty of dragons when I was kid."

"Well, they're aren't around anymore, okay," Zuko stated defensively.

"Ok, ok." Aang moves his arms in an appeasing manner. "I'm sorry."

Iroh bows his head and sighs. "Prince Zuko, I think you and the Avatar need to take a journey. I can teach you but I think you need to see it for yourselves."

"Where are we going?" Aang inquired.

"To the Valley of the Sun Warriors."

By this point Sokka had finally awoken and had been listening in on the conversation. Sokka was worried for Aang to be alone with the fire prince.

"I don't think that is a good idea. I believe that we need to stick together," Sokka spoke up.

Aang turned to his best friend. He knew Sokka was only looking out for him but this time his concern and worry was not needed.

"I appreciate your concern Sokka but I need to do this. And so does Zuko. I'm sorry but we are going."

Sokka went off in a huff but Aang knew he would get over it. For now Zuko and Aang were off to find the Sun Warriors.

"Stay safe Aang. I don't like you going off on your own." Katara hugged to boy.

Don't worry, Katara. I'll have Zuko with me.

"That's what I am worried about. Just because he says he has changed doesn't mean he has."

"Katara, I trust him and I trust Toph's ability. She would have sensed if they were lying. Everything will be fine," Aang explained.

Katara sighed. "If you say so."

Zuko had already said his goodbyes and was for the Avatar by Appa. He had witnessed how close the air bender and water tribe girl were. It was a closeness that he had never experienced with anyone near his age. It was always someone older.

"If you do anything to hurt Aang, I will come find you," Sokka threatened, coming up behind the prince.

Zuko turned around. The animosity coming from the other boy was palatable. Zuko let Sokka threaten him without comment. He knew he had a lot to make up for. Maybe by doing this would lessen the hatred and anger towards him.

"You have nothing to worry about. I want Aang to succeed as much or even more than you do."

Sokka got a weird look in his eye. "Lets hope so."

Zuko, you ready?" Aang asked.

The prince turned back towards the Avatar. "Yeah lets get going."

The two climbed on top of Appa, each hoping for an outcome that would bring them closer to not only defeating the fire lord but also to each other.


End file.
